A Time and a Place
by Queenie Z
Summary: After returning from the Gate of Time at the Sealed Temple, Link is overcome with grief and goes to Lake Floria to clear his thoughts. However, his day is about to get much, much worse after a surprise visit from his most despised enemy. Skyward Sword. Contains blood and moderately graphic violence; some Link x Zelda.


**A Time and a Place****  
****by Queenie Z**

Link stopped outside of the Sealed Temple's eastern exit, allowing the doors behind him to shut on their own. His limbs felt heavy, and his head was clouded in a near impenetrable fog. He lifted his face to the sky, his expression sullen as he absently watched the clouds roll by, but even the bright blue sky and warm sunlight could not reinvigorate him - not while the thoughts in his mind kept playing themselves over and over again.

She was gone, he thought - Zelda was gone, separated from him by countless eons and the ageless amber cocoon in which she slept. He'd been so _close_, so close he could practically feel her embrace, only to have her taken away yet _again_... It was too much to take after all those tasks, all those trials, all that hope he'd built within himself that he would get to see her again -

He wobbled over to the nearest cliff side, bracing himself on it with his hand as his legs nearly gave out from under him. He choked on a sob, trying desperately not to cry again, and clenched the hand on the wall into a tight fist. Finally, as he lifted his other hand to rub at his face, he heard a familiar, melodic voice, its tone much softer than usual.

"...She is safe, Master Link," said Fi from within the sword strapped to his back, "Impa will watch over her diligently until your task is complete."

Link swallowed. "I know," he muttered, his voice slightly hoarse.

There was a short silence before Fi spoke again. "...I detect high levels of negative emotion in your aura," she said, "and your physiological state shows signs of exhaustion. I can only estimate that these are symptoms of - " she paused momentarily, as if rechecking her calculations, " - grief."

He nodded slowly. "I was so _close_ to her, Fi," he choked, covering his face with his forearm. "I was so _close_...!"

"It would be wise to take a short rest until your symptoms subside," continued Fi. "...Please, Master, take all the time you need to grieve before pressing on."

With another nod, Link lowered his arm; then, he noticed the large sweat stain that had formed under the sleeves of his undershirt. He looked down at himself some more, wincing slightly when he noticed the terrible stench of body odor - a consequence of having last bathed before venturing into the Fire Sanctuary. He let out a long, breathy sigh.

"...I need a bath," he said listlessly as he stumbled along the path towards the Lake Floria waterfall, his hand keeping him steady on the cliff side.

"The nearest bird statue was one-point-two meters behind you, Master - "

"Not in Skyloft," interrupted Link, "here."

"It would be unwise for you to bathe where monsters still dwell," said Fi. "The Academy bath would be much safer and far more comfortable."

"I know." Link stopped, looking over his shoulder at the hilt of the Master Sword with a slight scowl. "But I'm not going back." His face fell once more. "...Not until I know what I'm going to tell the headmaster."

"Understood," said Fi. "Please proceed with caution, Master."

With that, the telltale glow of the sword faded, and Link haltingly continued his way to the waterfall.

* * *

Link had always thought that the falls around the entrance to the Ancient Cistern was a particularly tranquil area; and now, it seemed to be the perfect place where he could cool off and clear his head. He would freshen up, relax a little, think about his next move - perhaps, he thought, he would even allow himself to cry some more when no one was in earshot. After that, he hoped, he would be ready to return to Skyloft and look for clues on the location of the Triforce.

However, for the time being, he wanted nothing more than to be left completely alone with his thoughts and to work through his grief on his own; he wanted no interruptions, not even from Fi. As a result, he'd left the Master Sword stuck in the ground near the forest entrance, which he also hoped would serve as a deterrent against monsters with its evil-repelling properties. Then, he sat his gear and most of his clothes on the ground, made his way to the far end of the pond near the Cistern's entrance, and got in the water.

With a gasp, Link emerged from the water after dunking his head under. Then, he swam over to one of the pond's many lily pads, rested his arm on it, then used his other hand to shake the excess water out of his hair. He allowed himself to smile somewhat - indeed, the fresh, cool water felt fantastic. He knew that, when this was all over, he would have to bring Zelda here and -

The sound of her name in his mind caused that smile to falter, and his face became sullen once more. He laid his other arm down on the lily pad, then rested his head on it, aimlessly kicking his feet around in the water. He wondered what was going to happen to Zelda while she was sealed away; he knew she would remain unharmed in her state of suspended animation, but would she be scared? Would she be lonely? Would she be thinking of him as she slept, ruminating over her guilt for involving him in all of this? Thinking of what she might have been going through only served to elicit Link's own feelings of guilt for not telling her that it wasn't her fault; that, regardless of what destiny or the goddess herself had in store, he would have come to find her... because he loved her, more than life itself.

He sighed, shutting his eyes in exhaustion. He could feel his heartache weighing him down, and he felt sleepy, so, so sleepy...

Before he could doze off completely, however, he felt the hairs on his neck suddenly stand on end, and he startled awake. Over the course of his journey, Link had learned to recognize the presence of evil energy using the same sensitivity that caused his precognitive nightmares; he knew he needed to raise his guard when shivers began to run down his spine and his blood began to curdle. Lifting his head, he scanned the area for danger, and when he finally found the source of his unease, he grimaced in shock and disgust.

High on the cliff tops that surrounded the Cistern was a ghastly figure cloaked in a dark red mantle, a figure Link recognized all too well. That demon lord, that loathsome _clown_ was there, looking out over the rest of the lake, waiting for one of his scouting minions to return - or so he guessed, who knew what that creep was up to? Regardless, it seemed as though he had spotted Ghirahim before he himself had been spotted, and, knowing he could not afford engaging him in another battle so soon after their last, Link quietly swam back to shore, rung out his pants, and gathered the rest of his clothes. He only had time to put on his undershirt, however, before a menacing voice froze him in place.

"Leaving without saying hello, are we? How rude."

He turned sharply to see that Ghirahim was suddenly a mere foot or so behind him, his blackened arm resting on his hip and a surly scowl upon his face. Gritting his teeth, Link immediately reached for his pouch; however, the demon simply waltzed over and kicked it away from him. He watched as it landed on the ground a good distance away, then shrugged his shoulders with the slightest of smirks.

"_Whoops_," he said mockingly, "how clumsy of me!"

Link stood up straight, growling at him with tightened fists. "What are _you_ doing here!?"

"_Me_?" Ghirahim lifted his hand and inspected his nails nonchalantly. "Why, I'm looking for the second Gate of Time, of course - that much hasn't changed since our last encounter." He looked back at Link with another small, devilish smile. "...But it seems that _you_ have, Link. You looked so _dreadfully_ sullen as you irresponsibly ignored your duties in favor of going for a swim. Just what exactly happened to make you so upset, hmm?"

"That's none of your business," spat Link.

"Oh, I see how it is," said Ghirahim. He lifted his hand in the air and gestured it dramatically as he continued. "Let me guess - problems with your love life? Were you, as they say, 'dumped' by your little girlfriend?" His grin widened. "By which I mean the Spirit Maiden, of course."

The Hero growled once more at him, his eyelids twitching slightly in anger. "For the last time," he said, "her name is _Zelda_."

"But you're not denying it, are you?"

Link's fists tightened some more, until his knuckles were completely white. "I don't need this," he said before turning to storm off and grab his sword. When he felt Ghirahim's iron grip pull him back by his shoulder, however, he let out a yelp of surprise.

"_I wasn't finished_," he said with a threatening edge, knowing that he'd struck a nerve with the young knight by breaching the subject of Zelda. "...Did I ever tell you just what exactly I had planned for her?"

With wide eyes, Link inhaled sharply at the prospect. Then, as he tightened his grip on his shoulder, Ghirahim continued.

"As you know, my Master needs her in order to resurrect," he said, "so who knows what _he_ has in store for her. But once he's through..." he chuckled darkly and licked his lips. "Did you know, Link, that a human's eyes are considered a rare delicacy among us demons?"

In an instant, Link felt his entire body grow hot; his arms trembled as he began seeing nothing but red. "...Shut up..."

"Oh, but you see, I've always preferred the tongue and lips," he continued with gleeful sadism, "fresh and raw and served with a main course of succulent roasted thigh and deep-fried fingertips..."

"Shut _up_...!"

"And then, for dessert - her sweet, delicate, still beating heart served on a stick...!"

"I said _**shut up**_!"

Link wrenched out of Ghirahim's grip and turned; then, to the demon's surprise, he began throwing punches at his chest and shoulders. Of course, due to the hard, metallic "skin" he possessed, Ghirahim barely even flinched at the blows - however, this did not stop Link as he continued to assault him, hurling curses at him the entire time.

"You bastard," he cried, "you _bastard_! Damn you, damn you, _damn you_! I'll kill you, I swear to the goddess _I'll kill you with my bare hands_!"

Ghirahim simply lowered his gaze, his face falling into a contemptuous scowl as he watched the boy continue to beat on him until his hands began to bleed. Then, when he had had enough of the pitiful sight, he effortlessly caught one of his punches in his palm.

"Just as I thought," he said dispassionately, "you're nothing without that blade of yours." He squeezed, shattering the bones in Link's hands with a barely audible _crunch_.

Link howled in pain, his knees nearly collapsing from under him as he felt his fingers breaking. However, his unadulterated rage had not yet subsided; he lifted his gaze, snarling at the demon lord with tears in his eyes. "If you hurt her," he said, seething, "if you even lay a _finger_ on Zelda...!"

His threat was interrupted, however, by the back of Ghirahim's hand slamming into his face like a sheet of lead. Then, just as he was about to come out of his daze from the first blow, he received a second one which sent him to his knees in a crumpled heap. He groaned, tasting the blood from his broken nose and busted lip, then laboriously lifted his head to shoot Ghirahim another scornful glare. With an angered grunt of his own, the demon took a hold of Link's bangs, pulled him back up, and jerked his head back until he was looking his adversary straight in the eye.

"Save it, _Hero_," he hissed in an intimidating voice that had lost all traces of its earlier sarcasm. "I have a right mind to kill you right now for your incredible stupidity alone!" He threw one last underhanded punch to Link's stomach, causing him to choke and cough up more blood. Then, Link went limp, wheezing weakly as Ghirahim continued. "...But there is a time and a place for everything, and for now you are the only lead I have to the other Gate of Time!"

He tossed the boy away, and he collapsed on the ground, shaking from the shooting pain in his stomach and ribs. He curled up, moaning pitifully as Ghirahim pointed an indignant finger at him.

"Mark my words, Link - everywhere you go, every move that you make, I _will_ be watching you! I _will_ find that Gate, and I _will_ find the girl!" His hand curled into a fist. "And for your insolence, for the way you humiliated me at the Fire Sanctuary - rest assured that I will kill you only _after_ I let you watch her die...!"

With that, the demon lord snapped his fingers and teleported away, leaving Link lying on the ground in a small pool of his own blood. After a moment, he coughed some more; then, with shaky arms, he slowly, painfully pushed himself back to his knees.

"Master Link...!"

He looked up to see Fi gliding towards him from the spot where the Master Sword was still stuck in the ground. He winced as he attempted to stand. "F...Fi..."

"Master Link," said Fi urgently as she stopped in front of him, "I detect a high amount of broken bones and a moderate level of internal injuries." She turned towards Link's pouch. "I strongly urge you to utilize the healing fairy you have stored in your pouch."

Link stumbled over to his pouch; then, slowly, he bent over to pick it up. Grimacing in pain as he held the bag with his broken hand and fished around in it with the other, he found the bottle containing a fairy. Finally, with his teeth, he uncorked it, allowing the fairy to sprinkle its magic all over his battered form. In an instant, most of his injuries had healed, including those of his hand, nose, and ribs; however, he was still left with a blackened right eye and trails of blood leading into his mouth from his nose. He re-corked the bottle and shut his eyes in thought.

"...I apologize, Master," said Fi, "the demon lord's aura was too faint for me to detect until it was too - "

"Be _quiet_, Fi," grumbled Link as he stuffed the bottle back into his pouch and went to gather the rest of his clothes. He hastily redressed, putting his tunic on over his chain mail and fastening his belt. As he reached for his boots, however, he found that his anger had begun to dissipate, and only then did he realize just how foolish and impulsive he had been; indeed, he was lucky to be alive after challenging Ghirahim unarmed. He took a look at the hand that had previously been broken, flexed it, and let out an irate sigh.

"...I'm sorry," he said to Fi, "I didn't really mean that."

"Permission to speak once more, Master?"

He nodded. "Yeah, permission granted."

Fi glided closer to him. "Your anger towards Ghirahim is understandable and, by most standards, completely justified. I also speculate that your already fragile emotional state contributed to your impulsive decision." She stopped and watched as he continue to dress and gather his gear. "However, there is a time and a place to utilize such anger, and this was neither the time nor the place."

"I know," said Link, adjusting his hat. He then kneeled near the water and looked at his reflection, frowning at the state of his face and wiping the blood away with the back of his hand. "This was my fault - I let myself get carried away." He rinsed his hand in the pond, then put on his gloves. "I need to save that for the _real_ fight. And when that time comes," He curled his right hand into a fist, "I'll make him pay for everything he's done...!"

"A wise sentiment, Master Link."

Link stood, then walked over to the Master Sword, pulling it out of the ground and sheathing it. "Come on, Fi," he said, "let's head back to Skyloft before it gets dark."

Fi tilted her head. "Are you sure you feel ready to return so soon?"

"Yeah." He turned, flashing his partner a slight grin. "Beating up on that creep brought my spark back - helped me remember what I've been fighting for."

"Understood," said Fi. "Because your bath was so violently interrupted here on the surface, I recommend resuming it at the Academy; the mineral water used there will also allow your remaining injuries to heal more quickly."

The Hero chuckled slightly. "Good idea; I'll do that."

At that, the ethereal spirit leapt into the air and merged with the Master Sword once more. Then, with the grief in his heart replaced with a fiery motivation and a passionate love for the one he sought to protect, he readied his sailcloth and approached the nearby bird statue, touching it with his foot to activate it.


End file.
